NEWARK, Ohio-- In the final days of an intense campaign for Ohio's 12th Congressional District, Vice President Mike Pence visited Monday to rally support for Republican Troy Balderson.

The vice president's appearance in GOP-friendly Licking County illustrates both the competitiveness and the importance given to the Aug. 7 special election among Balderson, Democrat Danny O'Connor and Green Party nominee Joe Manchik. Democrats are hoping to flip the Central Ohio district that they have won exactly once since 1940, giving them momentum as they attempt to recapture the House in the November midterms.

"Ohio has a chance here to make a difference in the life of the nation," the vice president said to a crowd of about 400 people.

The relatively sparse polling that's been done in the race indicates that there are few swing voters in the district, which runs from Mansfield south to north Columbus before turning left into Licking County and Zanesville.

Rather, political experts predict the race will be determined by which side can turn out more support during a rare early August election that's not on many voters' radar.

Balderson tried to underscore that point during his rally with Pence, repeatedly quizzing the audience about when the Aug. 7 election is. But even Balderson got the date wrong at one point, saying "I need you August 8" before the crowd corrected him.

Pence's appearance here is an attempt for Balderson to tap into support for President Donald Trump, who won the 12th District by 11 percentage points in the 2016 general election. "Even in his role in the Statehouse, he's stood strong with this president," the vice president said of Balderson, a state senator from Zanesville.

Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken also spoke at the event near downtown Newark, touting Republican-passed tax cuts and
strong economic growth
in the U.S.

Balderson, who has kept a lower profile in the campaign than the underdog O'Connor, promised his mother in the audience that he would protect her Social Security and Medicare - a retort to
frequent Democratic criticism
over
his willingness
to raise the minimum age to receive Medicare and Social Security benefits.

One unexpected face in the crowd on Monday was Manchik, who was passing out campaign fliers. When a reporter suggested he might not find a lot of support for the Green Party at a Pence rally, Manchik, who runs a Licking County tech company, said he gets along fine with Republicans.

"I get along with them better than I do with most Democrats," he said, laughing.